• Short Summary

    Actors on set of the film "The Longest Day" include Peter Lawford and Richard Todd.

  • Description

    France.

    Behind the scenes filming on the set of "The Longest Day".

    Begins with scene of bombing - soldiers run towards the camera with guns on a battlefield. Soldiers regroup. M/S of Lord Lovat, the famous wartime Commando leader talking to actor Peter Lawford who portrays him in the film. The film features reconstructions of the D-Day landings. This story focuses on the daring glider raid on the Caen Canal and Orne River bridges led by Major John Howard. Major Howard is played by Richard Todd.

    Troops in the reconstruction of the battle are current members of the gallant "52nd" (now part of the 1st Greenjackets). Narrator describes the raid over shots of the film being made. Good C/Us of some of the actors. High angle shots show the filmmakers at work. Pegasus Bridge has been reconstructed and we see a re-enactment scenes of the arrival of the commandoes at the bridge. Various explosions and shots being fired. Invading troops led by Peter Lawford and a man playing the bagpipes cross the bridge. We see the camera being moved on a "dolly".

    "Only a film you might say" states the narrator "but nevertheless an exciting and moving incident from Britain's proud heritage..."

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    161.04
    Media URN:
    1893
    Group:
    Colour pictorials
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    16/10/1961
    Sound:
    sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Colour
    Duration:
    00:02:44:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:05:26:00 / 01:08:10:00
    Canister:
    CP 355

Comments (6)

  1. Unknown user says

    "Orme River" should read Orne River.

    Seen at 00:59 is Sean Connery.

    At 01:03, actor Norman Rossington is shown how to operate his rifle.

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  2. Unknown user says

    Many thanks. Good to see a pre-Bond Sean Connery.

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  3. Unknown user says

    More colour footage of the filming of The Longest Day can be seen in clip 3271.09.

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  4. Unknown user says

    This isn't the longest day its "a bridge too far"

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  5. Unknown user says

    With reference to the previous comment this is very definitely The Longest Day and not "A Bridge Too Far", as confirmed by the presence here of Peter Lawford and Richard Todd. Note also the date of 1961, whereas A Bridge Too Far wasn't made until 1977.

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  6. palacky says

    Bonjour

    Seen at 00:44 is Major John Howard (1912-1999).

    In your description it is said : "Pegasus Bridge has been reconstructed". Actually it is wrong. Maybe you meant that the battle was reconstructed but the bridge itself wasn't destroyed and it was used until its replacement in 1994 by a larger bridge.

    https://musee.memorial-pegasus.com/en/pegasus-bridge/

    Now the original bridge seen on these footages can be visited in the nearby museum :

    I would recommend this visit to anyone interested in the events of the D-Day.

    I live in Bénouville.

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